Ice skates forward, regardless of east or west.

1

The speedboat bounced and swayed in the darkness.

The seawater in the hold, mixed with Ling Wuwen's blood, gleamed with a dark red sheen.

Gu Xidong tore open her training clothes.

The wound is in the left abdomen, in the spleen area. The incision is irregular, and dark red blood continues to seep out, mixed with foam.

Spleen ruptured. Hemorrhagic shock occurred within one hour.

His hands were trembling. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He was awakened by the national team's first aid training.

The emergency kit contained a basic medical kit: gauze, iodine solution, tape, and scissors.

Ling Wuwen had syringes, medicine, and surgical sutures in her waist bag—she was ready.

Iodine was used to clean the wound. She was convulsing in a coma, her skin as pale as porcelain.

"Bear with it," he whispered.

He picked up the curved needle and threaded on 3-0 absorbable sutures—the kind used for suturing internal organs. He'd seen the team medic use them.

The needle tip pierces the skin.

One injection.

Two injections.

Slowly and steadily. Washing hands with seawater after each stitch.

Sweat mingled with blood. The excruciating pain in his left knee was forgotten; his entire focus was on the three-centimeter wound.

She opened her eyes during the eighth stitch.

His pupils were unfocused and unexplained, staring straight at the ceiling.

His lips moved slightly.

Gu Xidong leaned down to listen.

"……cold……"

The sound was like a breath.

He took off his blood-soaked coat and covered her with it, then stopped—hemorrhagic shock requires active heating.

look up.

There is light in the distance.

2

The light diffused in the fog, beams of searchlight. The low rumble of an engine drew near.

Gu Xidong shut off the speedboat's engine.

Silence. Only the sound of the waves and her faint breathing.

The speedboat floated like a leaf.

A beam of light swept across the sea.

once.

twice.

It grazed the stern for the third time. Gu Xidong ducked down to shield her. The beam of light lingered for two seconds, then moved away.

The ship began circling around 300 meters away.

The fog was thick, obscuring the shape of the boat, but its outline was larger than a speedboat, resembling a patrol boat. More than one beam of light emanated from the boat, and figures moved about.

They are searching.

Gu Xidong looked at Ling Wuwen. Her breathing became even weaker.

The bleeding from the suture site has stopped, but new redness is still spreading under the gauze – the internal bleeding has not stopped.

He needs specialized medical equipment, blood bags, an operating room, and to leave this sea.

But the pursuers were still outside.

time flies.

He looked down at the phone in his hand—the encrypted phone that Ling Wuwen had given him before he fell unconscious, with his birthday as the password.

The screen was lit, and the album icon glowed softly.

He glanced at her pale face, then at the lights of the pursuing soldiers patrolling in the distance.

Then, with his blood-stained fingers, he opened the photo album.

3

There are no photos in the album.

Three encrypted files and one video thumbnail.

file name:

1. Subject_LF_Surgical_Record.pdf (Subject LF Surgical Record)

2. BlackSwan_Network_Map.jpg (Black Swan Network Map)

3. Revenge_Plan_Timeline.xlsx (Timeline of the Revenge Plan)

4. Last_Message.mp4 (Last Message)

Gu Xidong's finger hovered over the first document, trembling slightly.

LF. Ling Wufeng.

He clicked on it.

A double password is required. 0807 is incorrect. Trying the pinyin "凌无风" is also incorrect.

Finally, enter the number from the day three years ago when the incident occurred: 1123.

Unlock.

47 pages of German medical records.

Gu Xidong couldn't read German, but he could read photos—before, during, and after the surgery.

The person in the photo is Ling Wufeng.

Or rather, it was the body of Ling Wufeng that had been diagnosed as "clinically dead".

Page 11: Scanned copy of death certificate. Ling Wufeng, male, 18 years old, was declared clinically dead at 22:17 on November 23, 2022. Cause of death: rupture of the carotid artery, hemorrhagic shock.

Page 2: Transfer Record. The body was secretly transferred to the "New Life" private medical center in Munich, Germany, in the early hours of the following day.

Page 3: Consent Form for Experimental Life Support and Gender Reconstruction Surgery, signed by: Ling Wuwen (younger sister, legal guardian).

Gu Xidong stopped breathing.

A madman descends to earth.

Surgical record:

Phase 1 (Days 1-30 post-surgery): ECMO and cryogenic suspension technology are used to maintain the cadaver's basal metabolism. Erythropoietin and stem cell activators are injected to repair hypoxic damage to multiple organs.

Phase Two (Days 31-90): After confirming partial recovery of brainstem function, procedures including Adam's apple removal, vocal cord adjustment, facial bone fine-tuning, and breast augmentation are performed. All surgeries are conducted in a "cadaveric" state.

Phase 3 (Days 91-180): Hormone replacement therapy. High-dose estrogen and anti-androgen drugs completely alter secondary sexual characteristics. Skin grafts and scar repair—scars from back neck surgery are left during this period.

Phase 4 (Days 181-365): Neurological Function Reconstruction Training. Electrical stimulation and drug induction are used to reconstruct damaged motor neural pathways. The subject took his first spontaneous breath on day 247, opened his eyes for the first time on day 301, and uttered his first word, "顾" (gù), on day 354.

The last page contains a discharge summary:

Diagnosis: 1. Post-gender remodeling surgery; 2. Post-traumatic stress disorder; 3. Short-term memory loss; 4. Identity impairment.

Recommendation: Lifelong use of anti-rejection medication, hormones, and anti-anxiety medication. Avoid high-intensity exercise, exposure to personal information, and contact with traumatic memories.

Prognosis: Uncertain. It is possible that all memories will never be fully recovered, there may be identity confusion, and there is a possibility of mental breakdown under significant stress.

Gu Xidong put down his phone.

He slowly turned his head and looked at Ling Wuwen, who was sitting in his seat with a pale face.

No.

It is Ling Wufeng.

His partner who bled to death in front of him three years ago.

The brother he thought had been cremated and buried.

That person... who turned into a woman, used her sister's name, came back to torment him, train him, save him, kiss him, and take a knife for him.

"ha……"

A dry, broken laugh squeezed out of his throat.

It seemed like crying. It seemed like laughing.

He covered his face, his fingers digging into his hair. His body trembled uncontrollably—a physiological spasm following a complete collapse of his cognition.

Three years.

While he thought he was rotting in the ruins, Ling Wufeng was in an underground medical center in Germany, experiencing a rebirth more terrifying than death.

Gender was forcibly changed.

The face was reshaped.

Memories were torn to pieces.

Then she came back.

Using his sister's name, with cold eyes, and with a surgical training plan, they dug him out of alcohol and self-destruction.

Why?

revenge?

Let him experience a fate worse than death?

Or... something else?

Gu Xidong suddenly grabbed his phone and opened the second file.

BlackSwan_Network_Map.jpg

Complex relationship network diagram.

The center has three names: Chen Guodong (referee), Zhou Wentao (vice chairman of the association), and Chen Rui (senior).

The extended lines connect "underground casinos," "drug dealers," "media," "sports officials," and even two government officials in charge of sports.

A red circle marks the sign: "Under the Ice Club" - Note: a channel for laundering funds, where athletes "handle" the venue.

The third file: Revenge_Plan_Timeline.xlsx

The timeline begins three years ago, the day after the incident:

2022.11.24: Forged death certificate and secretly transferred to Germany.

January 2023.01 - December 2023.12: Surgery and recovery period.

January 2024.01: Returned to China and began the investigation. Discovered Gu Xidong in an abandoned factory.

February 2024.02: Approaching Gu Xidong, "rehabilitation training" begins.

2024.03 (now): The plan is to trigger the "Abyss" ice show to lure the Black Swan's high-ranking officials out and obtain direct evidence.

The final goal column contains the following line:

"Let Gu Xidong perform that dance himself, crushing them in front of the whole world."

Gu Xidong stared at that line of text for a long time.

Then open the last file.

Last_Message.mp4

Video playback.

The scene depicts Ling Wuwen after his surgery recovery. He is in a pure white hospital room, wearing a hospital gown and in a wheelchair; his face is pale, but his eyes are clear.

She looked at the camera, paused for a few seconds, and then spoke. Her voice was soft, with a slight hoarseness from the post-operative vocal cord adjustment:

"Gu Xidong, if you see this video, it means two things."

"First, I may be dying soon, or I may already be dead."

"Secondly, you already know who I am."

She paused, her fingers unconsciously stroking the armrest of the wheelchair—a small gesture Ling Wufeng made when nervous.

"I know you'll hate me. Hate me for lying to you for three years, hate me for coming back this way, hate me for forcing you to face a truth you don't want to face."

"But Gu Xidong, I had no choice."

"Three years ago that night, I was lying on the ice, blood gushing from my neck, when I heard you calling my name. I heard you crying. I wanted to say 'Don't cry,' but I couldn't say it."

"Then I 'died.' They pronounced me dead and sent me to the morgue. But I wasn't really dead—my sister didn't let me die completely."

"She stole me out, smuggled me to Germany, spent all her savings, borrowed money at exorbitant interest rates, and got me that... damn surgery."

"After I woke up, it took me three months to accept that I was 'alive,' but I was no longer myself. My voice changed, my face changed, my body... became a woman."

"I've thought about suicide. Many times."

"But every time I have to take action, I think of the ice that night. I think of Chen Guodong's smiling face on the judges' stand, I think of Master Zhang changing the blade backstage, and I think of the 'paramedic' who was missing a finger."

"I can't die."

"At least they shouldn't die while they're still alive and laughing as they count their money."

She looked up and stared directly into the camera. Her eyes held the stubbornness, recklessness, and youthful sharpness that Ling Wufeng displayed when he made a decision.

"So I came back."

"I used my sister's name—she died a year ago from leukemia. Before she died, she left me her ID card and said, 'Brother, live on for me.'"

"I investigated for three years, found you, and made a plan."

"I know my methods are cruel. Making you remember in the aurora, pricking your brain with silver needles, forcing you to do impossible training... But Gu Xidong, I don't have time."

"I have seventeen medications in my body to keep it functioning. Anti-rejection drugs, hormones, nerve suppressants... Doctors said it would be a miracle if I lived for another five years. Now, three years have passed."

"That's why I need to be fast."

"Let's get you up, let's get you back on the ice, let's get you to dance the dance we didn't finish in front of everyone."

"Then, drag those who ruined us, one by one, into hell."

Her voice began to tremble.

"But Gu Xidong, what I didn't expect was..."

She lowered her head and remained silent for a long time.

When she looked up again, her eyes were glistening with tears.

"I never thought I would... I never thought I would..."

She couldn't continue.

The video ends abruptly here. No ending, no farewell.

Gu Xidong sat in the speedboat, the light from his phone screen reflecting on his stiff face.

In the distance, the patrol boat's searchlight swept across the sea once again.

closer.

4

Ling Wuwen's breathing suddenly became rapid.

His body convulsed, his fingers unconsciously scratched the edge of the seat, and he made a "hoarse" sound in his throat.

The face turned from pale to bluish-purple—due to lack of oxygen.

Gu Xidong rushed over to check the wound.

The sutures did not come undone.

But her hands were frighteningly cold, and her pulse was weak and rapid, almost undetectable.

The hemorrhagic shock has progressed to the late stage.

Without a blood transfusion and surgery, she wouldn't survive more than half an hour.

Gu Xidong looked up at the patrol boat.

It cruises 300 meters away, like a patient shark.

If they start the engine and rush out, they will be spotted immediately.

The speedboat might be faster, but Ling Wuwen couldn't withstand the turbulence—a single violent impact would be enough to cause the internal bleeding to completely spiral out of control.

If we stay here, we'll still be discovered when the fog clears at dawn.

Gu Xidong's gaze fell on the phone screen.

Although the last video had ended, there was still a hidden folder in the file list. He hadn't noticed it before.

Folder name: Contingency_Plan

Click to open.

There is only one document and one coordinate location.

Document Title: If I Collapse, Follow These Steps

Contents:

1. Do not take me to the hospital. Black Swan monitors all legitimate medical institutions.

2. Contact this number: +49 172 XXXXXXX (Dr. Schmidt, Munich, Germany). He is my attending physician and is trustworthy.

3. 带我到坐标：北纬31°14'，东经121°29'。那里有私人医疗船『曙光号』。上船密码：LF1123。

4. Once on board, destroy all communication equipment. There is a satellite phone on board; contact Dr. Schmidt, who will guide you on the next steps.

5. Most importantly: Gu Xidong, survive. Finish that dance. Dance it for me.

Gu Xidong looked at the coordinates.

Open the navigation map and enter the information.

It was located off the coast of Shanghai, approximately 47 nautical miles from its current location.

At full speed, it would take nearly two hours by speedboat.

Ling Wuwen couldn't last two hours.

But this is the only way.

Gu Xidong looked down at her bruised face.

He reached out and gently brushed aside the sweat-dampened hair from her forehead. The movement was very light, as if afraid of breaking something.

Then he leaned down and whispered in her ear:

"Listen, Ling Wufeng."

This was the first time he had said that name in three years.

"Your sister wants you to live on in her place."

"I want you to live too."

"So hang in there."

"Hold on until you get to that ship."

"Hold on until the day I crush all that trash, one by one."

"Then--"

He paused, his voice hoarse.

"Let's finish the dance together."

Ling Wuwen did not respond.

Breathing remained weak, but the spasms seemed to have lessened slightly.

Gu Xidong straightened up and started the speedboat engine.

A low growl exploded on the silent sea.

Three hundred meters away, the patrol boat's searchlight suddenly turned, the beam piercing through the thick fog and shooting straight towards them.

Gu Xidong did not dodge.

Turn the boat around, align it with the coordinates, and push the throttle all the way down.

Like an arrow released from a bow, the speedboat cleaved through the dark sea and rushed south.

Behind them, the patrol boat roared its engines, giving chase.

The sea breeze felt like a knife scraping my face.

Gu Xidong held the steering wheel with one hand and placed the other on Ling Wuwen's cold hand.

Ahead lay darkness, thick fog, and forty-seven nautical miles of unknown distance.

Behind him are pursuers, death, and a conspiracy that began three years ago.

The hand he was holding represented the entire world he thought he had lost.

The speedboat leaped over the crests of the waves.

Gu Xidong stared ahead, his eyes shining eerily in the darkness.

"Hold on tight," he whispered, unsure whether he was speaking to her or to himself.

"We're going to escape."

"Then--"

"We will make them pay for their crimes in blood."